Propelling vessels.



E. w. SGHROEDER.

PROPBLLING vEssBLs.

APPLICATION ILED JULY 17,1907.

Patented Mar.14,'1911.

3 SEBETB-BHEET 1.

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brLA/J Maymr-M F. W. SUHROEDER. PROPBLLING VESSELS. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 1v`, 1907.

986,766. Patelited Mar. 14, 1911.

' l I s sHEE'rs-SHBBT 2.

, ,HTTRTMM Mrwww y sel or a section ful Improvement in' Propellin UNITED STATES PATENT oEEicE.

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To all whom it may concern: f

Be it kn'own that ILFREDEBIGK WILLIAM SoHRoEDEn, of the city and county of London, England, have inventeda new and use- Vessels, of which the followin is a full, c ear,and exact description, re rence being had to the accompanying drawing, forming lpart of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section o f a vessel equipped with my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of same; Figs. 3 and 44 are vertical cross sections -on lines IIL-III and IV-IV, respectively, of Fig. 1;` Fig. 5 is `a modification of vertical section on the line lV--IV of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 shows detail of propulsion tube; Figs. and 8 show a rtion of side and rear elevation of modified type of vessel. Y

My invention relatesto the propulsion of vessels by means of the escape of compressed air or gases acting against the water and provides a layer of air or gas between the water and theV hull of the vessel in order to diminish friction, such layer of air beingk formed by forcing compressed air or gas through openings or vents lformed along the whole length of a tube or tubes arranged on the under side or bottom of the vessel. The action of the air or gas is such that it tends to lessen the displacement when the vmel is in motion. I also construct openings in the tubes of such 'a character as will enable the escape of the air or gas either toward the bow or toward the stern, and which by the ensuing reaction ofthe water will increase the speed of the vessel in one direction -or the other; and I separate'the bottom of the Avesthereof into a series of com partments open at the bottomby means of a number of small plates or projections from the bottom ofthe vessel, or from the propulsion tubes.`

The accompanying drawings show forms of vessels built in accordance with this invention, but it is to be understoodthat the principle of my invention can be applied 'to vesf.

sels or ships of other construction'.

Referring to the drawings, the vessel lis of an especial i'xinstruction, havin a very broad bottom 2 with sides 3, 3 an deck 4,

and has bow 5 and stern 6 of any construc.

tion desired. The vessel lis preferably made of great length and beam-in comparison with Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

`its tonna e, that it will be of complaratively lig t draft even when at rest. on

the .bottom 2 are arranged a series of longitudinal tubes, 7, 7', each of which is provided with small vents or openings 8, 8 distributedl along the entire length of the tube,-

and directed rearwardly and downwardly. These tubes are referably separated each from the other, but may bedivided into groups, by means of longitudinal projections or plates 9 depending from the bottom of the vessel or from the tubes arranged thereon (as shown in Fig. 3) to a depthsuicient tol 'retain the air or gas from lateral motion even when the vessel careens to the greatest possible extent. Said tubes 7, A7 and projections 9, preferably have tapered ends 10, 11, respectively, so as to diminish the frictional resistance of the water;v

The vessel is preferably constructed with a central keel 12 and two outside keels 13 and14 at the section in whichthe pro ulsion tubes 7, 7 are located. These outsi e keels may be constituted by the ships framing and are preferably deeper in order to rotect my apparatus from snags and the ike, and'also to protect it when beached or put in dry dock sinceftlie saidl keels then form a su port which holdsv the bottom clear. The ottoni of the ship, which is for the most part .of the type usual for shallow draft vessels and .approximately parallel with the water line, is slightly inclined upward toward the stern, but graduallybecoming arched `into two preferably` concave arches, as shown in" Fig. 3, on line III-III .of Fig. 1.

motivepowen'driving pumps 16, 16 which deliver the air or gas at suitable pressure to the reservoir 17.y This reservoir 17 communicate'sby pi 18,l 18 with transverse ,headersv or'sup yA ipes 19, 19 which lead to Vthe longit'u ina tubes 7, 7 through a connectingdpipe or union 20. For the pur-V pose of supplying the propulsion tubes, 7, 7', the more readily with gas or vair h eont e 4 necting` pipe or union 2O is preferably of approximatly twice the cross-sectional area o `the imm iate tube connected therewith, and is located near-the middle of saidl tube.

When the tubes ,7, 7 are supplied with compressed air or gas the reaction ofthe jets issuing from the rearwardly-inclined the progress of and, the upwardlyhdiiected air or `gas forces the vessel a straight line, ply is reduced or cut off by valves 21 or 22 22 from either the port or starboard tubes:

or to starboard, respectively.

. openin paratus for rected openings will propel the vessel ahead, I show -in Fi sending `the bow and with bilge-keels 12', 12,2

For the purpose of backing.v or going astern, a similar arrangement of apparatus ca n be made, but having tubes 7, `luwith 8 forwardly directed so that the 'air or gas from said forwardly-diastern, and the steering can be effected by reducin orfcutting off thel air or gas, supply from either series of tubes so arranged, but it not being usually necessary to have as large motive power for going astern as for going gs. 1, 2 and 4 a modification 4of my inventlon for the purpose of the vessel astern, which consists in es placed eitherside of the keel near rojecting from lthe bottom of the vessel (Pautside said tubes, said tubes having forwardlydirected orifices and connected with a header 192er transverse piping having controlling valves 222 therefor, and with the header connected with the reservoir 17 in two tu the manner described above.

In Fig. 5 lI `show a mod ication `of a going astern which consists 1n a tube with forwardly-directed openings placed in an open Ahollow keel toward the bow of thel vessel and ofperated as above.

Fig shows'detail o tubes with vents or I' openings 8 .directed opposite to direction propulsion and of greater cross-sectional area at their outer than at theirlnner surface, and with ends thereof tapered so as to present a smaller frictionalsurface to the water.

A, expandin gitudinal Figs. 7 and 8 show a modification of m inventionespecially adapted for deep-dra` t vessels. In this construction I lplace the propulsion tubing 7, upon the inclined stern of the vessel, which is preferably constructed with a -serles of arched grooves 'opening outward somewhat like afan as they run aftand upward.

In these grooves propulsion tubes are placed the longitudinal gas is forced as 7, through which the air or previously described, and out ofthevusual'y 'openings 8,v distributed along the` entire length of the tubes. v- These fan-shaped longroovesV give opportunity for an y g pressure of the air or gas as it to escape and upwardly over the water in and when theair or gas sup- A the vessel will be to p ort rected oppositely to the direction of prep the immediate tube and the tube a substantially 'as is 'forced l against the vessel by the water.

It is to be understoodlthat myinvention is not restricted to the forms shown and described in the specification, but that'various other' constructions may be used without departing from the pe of my invention.

' What I claim is: 1. Apparatus for propelling vessels, consisting of a vessel having a series of lo 'tudinal tubes laced under thebottom o the vessel, whic tubes are provided with inclined openings directed o positely to the direction of propulsion and) having projections `depending therefrom, and kmeans for propelling the vessel by forcing air or gas therethrough; substantial] `2. Apparatus for prope ling vessels, consisting of a vessel having a series of longitudinal tubes placed under the bottom of the vessel, said tubes having suitable'o nings and tapered ends presenting little illictional resistance to the water, and having projections depending therefrom with ends also inclined to the taper of the tubes, and means for propelling the vessel by -forcing air or gas therethrough; substantially as described.

3. Apparatus sisting of a vessel having a plurality of series of parallel, lon 'tudinal tubes placed undero the bottom of t e vessel, which tubes are providedv with inclined openings dias described.

ulslon, and having projections depen ing therefrom, and means vessel by forcing air or gas therethrough; substantially as described.

' .Apparatus for propelling vessels, consisting ofa vessel havingaseries of longitudinal tubes placed under the bottom of the vessel which tubes are. providedwith inclined openings directedv oppositely to the direction of @propulsion and having projections dependmg therefrom, said'projections forming separate channels ory `open chambers for holding the air or gas issuin from jacent `for vpropelling the vessel" gas through said tubes; described. V

.n In testimeny whereof I have hereunto set my hand. y

i y FREDERICK WILLIAM. seaaoamm.

thereto, and means by forcmg air or llVitnesse-s: f' a Gnoaen H. SONNEBQRN,l Riemann D. Liman.

for propelling the 

